Younger employees within the Australian Public Service are advancing into higher-paying, senior positions at a pace that significantly outstrips the growth of their age group within the broader workforce. This trend has sparked analysis from experts who suggest less experienced workers are increasingly being paid at senior levels to handle administrative tasks.
A Rapid Rise Through the Ranks
Official data from the Australian Public Service Commission paints a clear picture of this acceleration. In 2021, approximately 13,000 APS employees under the age of 35 held positions classified as APS6 or higher. By the end of the last financial year, that number had jumped to 20,730.
This represents a growth rate far exceeding the overall 41 per cent increase in the under-35 headcount across the entire APS during the same period. The APS itself reached a record size of 198,529 employees in 2025, with 53,981 of those aged under 35.
The climb is even more pronounced at the Executive Level. The total number of younger staff at the EL1 and EL2 ranks hit 7,994 by June 30 last year, marking a dramatic 56 per cent increase since 2021. Notably, the average age of an EL1 in 2025 was 43.
Shifting Responsibilities and Simpler Tasks?
Former Finance Department deputy secretary Stephen Bartos provided context for these figures, explaining that the APS has systematically shifted responsibilities upward over the past decade. Work that was once delegated to an APS6 is now commonly held by an EL1.
"It's not uncommon these days to find senior executives doing work that in previous years would have been done at a section head level or below," Mr Bartos said. "Essentially what's happened is there's less and less work for the more junior levels because it's being pushed up, and so you've seen an expansion in the number of people doing relatively straightforward administrative tasks, but being paid at senior levels to do it."
Corroborating this shift, the percentage of under-35s in more junior roles classified as APS4 and lower has actually fallen by 6 per cent.
Training Cuts and Budgetary Pressures Loom
Professor Bartos also pointed to "worrying" signs that government agencies are likely to reduce staff training budgets this year to relieve financial pressures. He warned this could lead to an increase in work-related errors.
"We've got a lot more people who are taking on responsibility relatively younger which means the APS needs to invest in increasing a lot more in training rather than cutting back," he emphasised.
This concern comes as the Albanese government seeks annual public service savings of up to 5 per cent in the upcoming federal budget. While the government has stressed it has not explicitly directed agency heads to cut jobs, experts suggest reducing the number of senior executives could be one path to achieving meaningful savings.
The salary differentials are substantial. Senior Executive Service (SES) officers earn median base salaries between approximately $244,000 and $416,000 annually. In contrast, the median base salary for an APS6—the most common classification—is about $104,000. The number of under-35s in SES roles remains small, with the average SES officer aged from their late 40s to early 50s.
A spokesperson for the APSC attributed the trend of faster career progression partly to emerging technologies, noting similar patterns in the wider labour market. They reaffirmed that "merit remains the fundamental principle" for all APS recruitment and promotion.
As the APS continues to evolve, the rapid advancement of its younger cohort presents both opportunities and challenges for the future shape and capability of Australia's public service.
